The inventive concept relates to storage devices including flash memory, and methods of storing data. More particularly, the inventive concept relates to storage devices including flash memory capable of increasing the lifespan of the flash memory by filtering data to be stored in the flash memory, and related methods of storing data.
Flash memory is a particular form of non-volatile memory and is capable of retaining stored data in the absence of applied power. Due to its high integration density and fast operating speed, flash memory is commonly used in mobile devices such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, portable game consoles, and MP3 players to store programming code and user (or payload) data. In addition, the flash memory is increasingly used in such consumer electronics as high definition (HD) TVs, digital versatile displays (DVDs), routers, and global positioning systems (GPSs).